Brij Khandelwal, 1st Katchatheevu Plaintiff Speaks On The Controversy

Katchatheevu Island: In 1974, when it was challenged by an ordinary citizen over recognizing the tiny Katchatheevu island as Sri Lankan territory, the government argued he had no locus standi to interfere in the case.

Fifty years later, Brij Khandelwal, the first petitioner in the Katchatheevu case, says he stands by his belief that no government has any business in diminishing the country's territory. The uninhabited island, about 1.6 km long and over 300 metres wide, has shot back into the limelight ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, with the BJP accusing the then Congress government of giving it away to Sri Lanka. NDTV's Marya Shakil speaks with Brij Khandelwal, the first petitioner in the Katchatheevu case.